


Disorientation

by curly184



Series: From Recognition to Realisation [3]
Category: Band of Brothers (TV 2001)
Genre: Afghanistan, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-14 01:35:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29535546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/curly184/pseuds/curly184
Summary: Eugene is back in Afghanistan.  It might be only in his head, it might only be for a few moments; but Ron knows for Eugene, those few moments are real and terrifying.
Relationships: Eugene Roe/Ronald Speirs
Series: From Recognition to Realisation [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2169870
Kudos: 9





	Disorientation

He wakes with a start when Eugene yells out and finds the smaller man thrashing around the bed, trying to throw the sheets off but only succeeding in wrapping himself in them tighter.

“Eugene, you're okay,” he says, reaching for him, pulling Eugene towards him. He's warm, drenched in sweat and Ron immediately recognises that, in his head, Eugene is back in Afghanistan. It might be only in his head, it might only be for a few moments; but Ron knows for Eugene, those few moments are real and terrifying.

“Eugene, you're okay, I've got you. You're safe,” he keeps his voice deliberately low and soft. He's got used to Eugene's dreams, he's got used to waking in the night to find Eugene thrashing in his sleep. Or sometimes, waking to an empty bed. But tonight seems worse somehow.

“Come on, turn over for me. On your back,” he guides Eugene over and runs a hand through his sweat drenched hair, brushing it back from where it sticks to his forehead. He's hot, too hot. And his breathing is far too fast and too shallow. “Slow down, Eugene, breath with me.”

Eugene grips Ron’s forearms, looking at Ron through eyes swimming with tears. Ron continues to look at him steadily, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth, coaxing Eugene to match his breathing. Even through the gasping breathes, interrupted with sobs that shake his entire body, Ron can see that Eugene is slowly coming back to himself.

Ron continues to murmur nonsense to Eugene in a soft, soothing tone and feels strangely gratified when Eugene’s breathing falls into sync with his own. Although he would give anything for Eugene not to suffer from nightmares, anxiety attacks, for him to not to triggered by things like fireworks and thunderstorms, he likes that he is the one Eugene trusts with this. He is one of the few people Eugene talked to about the things that haunt him from his time in Afghanistan, and he was one of even fewer people - maybe the only person in the last six months - who had seen him like this.

“You okay?” Ron asks, when Eugene has calmed enough to know where and when he is. Ron brushes a hand through his damp hair and followed the curve of his eyebrow with his fingers, down his cheek and along his jaw.

Eugene nods, “yeah,” he says softly, “I'm okay.” He tries to roll away, but Ron cages him in on both sides with his arms. Eugene may trust Ron with his worst moments, in his most terrifying experiences, but those moments are almost always followed with shame and embarrassment for being weak as Eugene had once termed it. And quite honestly, Ron thought that broke his heart more than having to watch Eugene suffer and being unable to do anything about it.

“Get in,” Ron says, fixing the sheets and pillows and helping Eugene back into the bed. He tucks the sheets and blanket up around him and kissed his lightly on the lips, then reaches over to his own side of the bed for a water bottle. The first night Eugene had woken up from dream, disorientated and his heart racing, he had been reluctant to even let Ron leave the bedroom to get him something to drink. Every night since, Ron has made sure there is a bottle of water in the bedroom when they go to bed. He sits on the bed and hands Eugene the bottle of water. Eugene takes it in his still shaking hands so Ron doesn’t let go entirely.

“Good,” he murmurs, as Eugene sips at the water. When Eugene hands the bottle back to him, Ron slides into bed beside him, propping himself up on the pillows and pulling Eugene against his chest. He runs his hands up and down Eugene’s arms and shoulders, soothing his still trembling body, willing heat into his cold skin. “'You wanna tell me about it?” he asks.

Eugene shakes his head.

That’s new. Not since the earliest days of their relationship has Eugene kept his nightmares from Ron.

“Why not?” Ron whispers against the shell of Eugene’s ear, smiling to himself at the shiver it elicits from Eugene. When Eugene doesn't answer, Ron knows not to push him. He knows Eugene will talk to him when he's ready. “Come here,” he says instead, moving down the bed so he is lying on his back instead of sitting upright, pulling Eugene along with him until Eugene is tucked against his chest. Ron can feel his heart is still racing as he holds him tightly.

“Do you think you can sleep?” he asks, when he feels Eugene’s heart rate slow and when the man starts to feel heavy in his arms.

“Yeah, I'll be fine,” he says and kisses Ron gently on the lips, “Don’t worry.”

“Not worried about me,” Ron replies in between kissing Eugene, “worried about you.”

“I'll be fine, Ron,” Eugene says with a soft sigh.

Ron doesn’t miss the use of the future tense. Eugene is not fine right now.


End file.
